Author Archives: Paul Clarke

U14s Tour De Paris 2017

Tour Diary 28 April- 1 May, by Simon Osborne, our U14s Paris Correspondent

Ealing under-14s have rounded off a tough season with a memorable tour to the French town of Montigny le Bretonneaux to the west of Paris.

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Loads of fun and lots of laughs – plus some brilliant rugby from the boys – made the trip a rip-roaring success which was enjoyed by everyone who took part from start to finish.

For Eurostar first-timers it was an exciting high-speed journey into France followed by a mad dash around the Paris Metro before we caught our overground train to our Montigny base and the town’s comfortable Hotel Campanile.

Wagers had been placed on tour manager Sean F’s non-appearance in Paris due to his global work commitments but to general astonishment he was waiting at the grand Gare du Nord to welcome the Ealing party having just jetted in on a red-eye flight from Shanghai.

Jet-lag inevitably took its toll and he did experience periods of confusion, drowsiness and disorientation over the next few days but he did manage to retain the presence of mind to get us in and out of the French capital by train, up and and down the Eiffel Tower, round and round the Arc de Triomphe and along a rain-soaked Champs Elysee pretty much in one piece.

The tour quickly got into full swing once we arrived on French soil and Friday night saw the consumption of industrial quantities of steak, chips and red wine followed by some dodgy dancing then a good old early-hours singalong back at the hotel.

Those tourists not used to late nights struggled to make breakfast the following morning while those made of sterner stuff were up and at ‘em early doors with fruitful visits to the town’s market and supermarket.

Saturday gave us a fabulous afternoon of rugby hosted by the small local Montigny club.

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Some found the four-quarter format a little confusing but the Ealing boys dominated and won three out of the four sessions and played some eye-catching rugby along the way.

Our forwards and backs were happy taking it in turns to run the show, particularly in the first match against a very good visiting side from the nearby town of Montesson.

None of the players should be singled out for special praise because they all played so well and in the true spirit of an Ealing touring side but it was great to see Jamie R score two terrific tries and add some points with the boot before he and his dad Graham leave us for sporting pastures new. Both have been great stalwarts of the club for many, many years and it was a great pleasure to spend time in their company on this tour.

The whole party thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality of our hosts at Montigny who treated us to an after-match reception where gifts were swapped, speeches were made and thanks were given.

We were made to feel extremely welcome in Montigny and were happy to tell our new friends we would very much like to see them at Vallis Way for a return fixture some time in the future.

Avance! And onward to the infamous Kangaroo Court.

An unholy mash-up of stand-up comedy, talent show and I’m A Celebrity-style food trials, the Kangaroo Court is always the highlight of our age-group excursions and this year was no exception with His Worships Sean M, Dennis O’S and James G ensuring Tour Law was upheld with their own brand of shambolic justice.

Crimes and punishments veered from the sublime to the riddiculous and some of the sentences handed down were often harsher on the jurors than the defendants themselves with traumatising renditions of the English and French national anthems plus a few inexplicable Twinkle, Twinkle Little Stars leaving innocent parties wondering what they had done to deserve it.

But as usual everyone thoroughly enjoyed what was a raucously funny and fun-filled night with the whole touring party getting involved and taking part in great humour.

The sporting side of our wonderful trip complete, it was time to hit Paris with some setting their sights on the summit of the Eiffel Tower and others opting for the splendour of the palace and gardens of Versailles.

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Sean F’s tour management credentials came to the fore as he managed to shepherd his party up and down the tower and then led a walking tour which took in Trocadero, pavement cafes, the Arc de Triomphe and a bedraggled yomp along a soggy Champs Elysee down to Les Invalides where with minutes to spare we hopped on the train to Montigny in time for a buffet supper back at the hotel.

All tourists owe special thanks to Gilles B who grew up in the Montigny area and paved the way for our visit as well as acting as official tour translator when it came to restaurant bookings, menus, rail fares and generally making sure we got to where we supposed to be when we were supposed to be there.

Indeed, he ensured we all got back to London safe and sound, in various stages of exhaustion for sure, but all vowing to sign up for next year’s trip, with Berlin, Rome or southern France already being seriously considered for our 2018 adventure.

Academy Coaches go back to school

Its going to be a busy 2017/18 season for three of our Academy coaches as they look to improve their coaching skills and practice by studying for the next stages of their development.

Academy skills coaches Tom Gamage and Rhys Crane will begin their UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) Level 3 in Coaching Rugby Union award in July. The year long course is designed to develop head coaches, focusing on player and peer development.

Coaches

Academy Director John Lacey will also be looking to improve his ability, already a Level 3 coach he will begin 18 month long UKCC Level 4 in Coaching Rugby Union in September, the course looks to develop coaches working in Talent Development, Performance and Elite rugby programmes.

On announcing the news John Lacey said “This is a really exciting time for the coaching team and for the Academy as a whole. We ask that our players look to continually improve their skills, knowledge and understanding, it’s only right that we as coaches match that.

Tom is a professional coach within the Saracens Community department and Rhys is still playing at Elite level so we are really well placed to give our players the very best input to their development. As a group of coaches, we already place a high importance on formal and informal continuous professional development, to have 2 of our younger coaches with such a desire to improve is excellent.

We set out to be recognised as a centre of excellence in young player development, and we have built a great team of dedicated coaches and managers over the past 3 years with professionals and volunteers as well as current Pro Squad players involved. Their hard work and dedication has allowed us to deliver over 2000 hours of coaching across our Community Schools, Emerging Players, U18 and Senior Academy programmes. To have such a strong group, all with a player centred focus, can only help us on our way.”

Club Dinner 22nd April – Final Details

SONY DSCThis year the Club Dinner will be held on Saturday 22nd April. On this day the Men’s 1sts has its final Zoo Shield fixture of the season away at Shelford. An early KO means that the players can make an early return allowing the guests to muster at 18:30, dining at 19:00, aiming to finish at 21:30 for post prandials, prior to optional transfers to late evening events in down-town Ealing.

The dinner is a combined event for the Men’s players, Senior Academy players, supporting managers, coaches, physios, social members, anyone connected with the club, and their guests. 

Dress code is Club Tie. If you haven’t  got a club tie these will be available for purchase from Bernadette on the night, at a discounted price of a tenner.

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U16 2016/17 Season End

Please note that the U16’s season has now finished and that there are no more fixtures or training sessions for the 2016/17 season.

From all the coaches and volunteers, we wish all our players the very best in their GCSE exams.

Applications invited for Senior Academy Open Trial

Senior Academy Trial flier

The Academy are pleased to announce that they will hold open trials for next seasons squad later this month.

Academy Director John Lacey said “This is the first time we have held a trial for inclusion in the Senior Academy and marks a change in the way we recruit our players. Traditionally we have accepted applications from individuals or promoted from the Academy U18 squad or U18 Emerging Player Group.

We are looking to cast our net a little wider this year and actively seek ambitious young players to strengthen our group.

We feel the time is right to push forward with our programme and hope that we can inspire some talented young players to take up the challenge and push themselves forward and see how far they can improve their game.”

To register your interest, or for more information, contact John Lacey via email to academydirector@ealingrugby.co.uk

England U18 cap awaits Academy winger

We are extremely proud to announce that Academy U18 winger Reon Joseph has been selected to represent England Counties in their upcoming away fixture against Ireland.

The England Counties age group programme forms part of the RFU Aspiration Pathway. It is designed to expose those not involved with the Regional Academy Programme run by Premiership Clubs, to high level competition.

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Academy Director John Lacey said “Reon has had a fantastic couple of seasons with the Academy, to go from very little rugby involvement to an International call up is a fantastic achievement. Having been part of both the Academy U18 squad and the Emerging Player Group, impressive performances led to last season’s call up to play for the Senior Academy, where he stood out for praise. He has continued to improve with the older group this year and earned a weeks trial with the Pro Squad. He is an incredibly hard working young man who is a credit to his family, the Academy and to the club as a whole.

We wish Reon the best of luck with what we expect will be an exciting experience.”

Grasshoppers Vets 5 – 31 Evergreens

Do not think that the score line represents a runaway bonus point win in this Middlesex Vets League match. This was brutal, physical rugby at its best; there is no need for a Rev Sudworth military, euphemistic tank-filled eulological match report. A proper derby atmosphere hung over the Grasshoppers’ Sky coveted pitches, which were looking pristine in the late February floodlit crisp evening light. However, it was the Evergreens that flew out of the blocks after an intense Ninja Jacko led warm-up allowed us to dominate the kick-off with a sweeping backs attack down the left flank. Domenico nearly completed the job in the corner but was cover tackled well. His misinterpreted post-tackle phlegm-clearing activities (meant to be benign) led to an early exchange of handbags & a cause of consternation amongst the home crowd.

It was not long before we registered our first score though as recycled ball from forward activity in the right hand corner was spun left with Damian side stepping the advancing defence to score a self-converted try. Subsequently clean line out ball won by Pup was driven strongly forward and spun to Steenie who, although he didn’t quite have the legs to finish, performed a pristine switch to gasman Mike Whitehead touching down between the posts for a simple converted try. 14-0 at half time did not mean a relaxed halftime talk, with focus on sustaining the high first-up tackling quality and continuing the simple but effective game plan.

Early in the second half the BA-delayed Beck demonstrated his continuing on-field value to the team by punching the ball up the middle of the park and putting in some important cover tackles. Added to this was our jackling back row trio lead by Mayo, a constant thorn in the home side’s side. In the meantime, Jacko was doing a passing representation of a flailing ballerina under the high ball for a second time, air-shotting the ball rather than using the simpler catch technique so favoured by other fullbacks.

Grasshoppers’ strength was certainly in their front five and a stolen Evergreens scrum on the Ealing line allowed a hefty blindside attack at Fingers who was unable to prevent a try but the conversion bounced off the crossbar. The Evergreens responded well with a Pat try resulting from a quick penalty tap that was majestically converted, Farrell-style, by our eventual MOM Fingers. Another score by skipper Jake followed after sustained “fire & ice” defence allowed a passage of open pop passing play. Jake stayed strong to the line, bringing his flailing defender along for the ride. Farrell then deserted Fingers as he sliced his conversion; 26-5. Our last try came from an unfortunate drop by the Hoppers centres, with Pup scooping up the ball and putting Eddie over in the corner, no conversion but a satisfying 31-5 victory.

Hats off to the Grasshoppers Vets team who remained strong throughout and were unlucky not to register more points were it not for poor decision-making in the red zone. Perhaps the post match “monkey brain” was in place before the DOD presentation (well done shoeless & hamstrung debutant Dave Budge)? We are now top of the table so next up will be a home play-off semi against Uxbridge or Fullerians on the 17th of March, with a possible final on 7th April. Mark your diaries and let’s see if our Italian stallion (Giovanni) can be repatriated with a title unlikely to be bestowed on his professional countrymen anytime soon.

 

Academy passes 1500 hour coaching milestone

The Ealing Trailfinders Academy has this month reached the milestone of delivering 1500 hours of coaching to its members. The players involved range from 15-23 years old as well as Year 8-9 boys and girls from local State Schools.

The Academy has a group of 12 dedicated Rugby coaches spread across all our current areas of responsibility including Senior Academy, Academy U18, U16 & U18 Emerging Player Groups and our Community Schools programme. Our coaches range from professionals to volunteers and include Pro and Academy squad players.

Our 2 Strength and Conditioning coaches ensure we are prepared for all the game can throw at us while our 2 Physios make sure that the players receive the level of quality care at pitch side and in the treatment room to keep all the boys playing.

We are also lucky to have 3 extremely dedicated volunteer managers who work tirelessly to make sure everything runs like clock work.

That’s more than 20 people working together to provide an excellent experience to young players from across the borough and beyond. We are hugely proud of hitting such a significant target for the second season running and would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and dedication.

We’d also like to thank Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club and the Mike Gooley Trailfinders Charity for the continued support of young player development.

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Quins Vets 20-12 Evergreens (Vets Cup)

A beautiful day in the sun of west London was sadly not reflected in the final score but Evergreens can hold their heads high after a physical battle with our ex-Surrey Vets League & local rivals Harlequins. Despite the fact that both sides were disappointed to hear that Nigel Owens was not available just prior to kick off Quins started strongly registering a penalty and then a try after sustained pressure but the Evergreens were always in this game despite the 10-0 halftime score. Neither team were able to get recycled ball and multi-phase play, which made this a rather stochastic stop-start affair despite debutante Graham at 9, linking well with Cotts and other alumni.

In the second half Quins ran in a second converted try after a rare period of continuous open play, but Evergreens retorted by putting Terry “hat trick avoidance” Thompson in twice; first cantering(?) under the posts for a converted try then forcing his way over in the right hand corner, with Gunny hitting the upright from his lurid green tee. In between a breathless Quins 10 kicked a surprising (to him, his team and on-lookers) drop goal.

20-12 at the final whistle but the Evergreens never gave up, despite being thin in numbers on the bench (why were more Quins not in Val during half term we ask?!) & stifled at the breakdown. Back on the horse on Friday night at Grasshoppers gentlemen, the cup may be gone but the league still beckons.

Young Ealing Trailfinders prevail in muddy encounter

Nottingham Academy 0 v 8 Ealing Trailfinders Academy

The Academy travelled north up the M1 on Saturday to play a successful Nottingham side who had lost only once in the last two season’s. A pitch inspection prior to departure was required due to the foul weather leading into the weekend, on arrival we could safely say “it’ll take a stud”.

Despite the terrible conditions under foot and over head, the boys were full of enthusiasm throughout the warm up and went on to set the tempo of the game for long periods, dominating possession and territory. However, the mud had a huge influence on the error count for both sides, there were many turnovers and the point of discussion was whether a yellow card was enough for flanker Alfie Hill’s bringing down of a strong maul by the Nottingham forwards (and a couple of backs).

Inside centre Noah Jarvis stood out with his powerful carries and strong leadership of the back line. The fear was that Nottingham proved last season that they can absorb long periods of pressure and counter attack with devastating effect. This season however, our defence has resilience and real bite. Despite many great efforts the 1st half ended scoreless.

The second half was a carbon copy of the first. Ealing playing with ambition despite the conditions, making mistakes but never losing heart, it was from another trademark barrelling run that Jarvis finally broke the deadlock with a great try. Now with the upper hand the Academy kept Nottingham on the back foot and continued to pressure them at every opportunity, finally forcing a penalty in front of the posts which replacement winger Harrison Slater slotted to take the lead to 2 scores which given the conditions was too much to ask.

Academy Director John Lacey “We are all really pleased with the performance, we set our stall out early on, trying to play with the ball in hand despite the conditions, and making a decent fist of it.

We like to play with pace and width and many would say that’s not possible in the kind of conditions we saw today but I think we proved we can still put speed on the game and I think the boys will take a lot from the game.

Nottingham have been very successful over the last couple of seasons and to shut them out today was huge, its our second clean sheet of the season and a real pat on the back for the players and coaches as we have worked really hard to improve our defensive play and individual technique.”

There are a few weeks now before we play the UK armed Forces U23 side, drawn from the very best young players of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force on 19th March at Vallis Way. This is set to be a great day for all involved in the Academy and hope you can find a gap in your diaries to come along and support the boys in what is traditionally our toughest game of the season.

Ealing Trailfinders Academy

Steadman J, Joseph, Hitchcock C, Jarvis, Adeleke, McMinn, Segre, Gregory, Hill, Day (c), Addison, Ellingham, Chamnaoui, Joyce, Hitchcock T.

Replacements

Bannister, Vosabalavu, Collins, Armstrong, Gibson, Avis, Luk, Samms, Walker, Slater

Scorers

Tries – Jarvis
Pens – Slater